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Well, my last post was about how I’ve been losing hair since using Wen by Chaz Dean Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner, even though I stopped using the stuff before the 24th of June. If anybody’s interested in seeing complaints from others who’ve lost hair after using Wen products, here are some links:

The last one listed is a blog on Wen's site that makes light of the problem. I left a comment about my hair loss, along with the FDA's phone number, and, of course, it wasn't published.

So what am I doing about this? A lot. I contacted the FDA (cosmetic area), as mentioned in my last post, at 888-723-3366 and filed a complaint. The person I spoke with seemed very interested and concerned about the issue. In fact, she also told me that anyone who’s had a problem with Wen products should save the bottles, because the FDA wants the expiration date and the lot number, if you file a complaint.

My bottle of cleansing conditioner had no expiration date on it, and the lot number is almost invisible. You’ll find it on the bottom of the dark brown-colored bottle. It’s NOT the tiny number on the bottom of the label. I had to use a magnifying glass, after a Wen employee told me where to look for it. It appears to be in black ink, and it’s very faint. At first, I told the woman that there was no number there. Why on earth would they make it so difficult to find the lot number? But trust me – it’s there. My lot number is T1088A.

I also wrote a letter to QVC, which sells Wen by Chaz Dean hair products, even though I didn’t buy the stuff from them. I explained what happened to me and told them that I’m working with the FDA. And I ended the letter by saying:

“At this point, I’m working with the FDA, hoping it will eventually require warning labels on Wen products. And I would think it advisable for you to require warnings, as well, since it’s inconceivable that you would knowingly expose even a small percentage of your customers to unexpected hair loss.”

In response to that letter, I got a call from QVC’s Office of the President, asking if they could forward the letter to their buyers and a vice president. The woman who called had me on the phone for at least 15 minutes and said they would be looking into my claims. I also gave them the websites above.

Finally, I visited my dermatologist, who said that she’d never heard of some of the ingredients listed on the bottle. So she can’t speculate on which one caused the hair loss. She told me to start taking Biotin and to come back in two months to see if the hair loss has stopped.

I still can’t believe that Wen doesn’t warn people that some percentage, however small, of its customers will lose their hair. All I want at this point is for Wen to put a warning about hair loss on its label. It would also be nice if they’d identify the ingredient that they suspect is causing the problem. But to do that would be an admission that they’ve ignored their customers’ best interests in favor of profits. If my hair continues to fall out, you can bet I’ll be talking with Wen again.